Preparations for the Temple

(1 Kings 5:1-12)

1And Solomon saith to build a house for the name of Jehovah, and a house for his kingdom, 2and Solomon numbereth seventy thousand men bearing burden, and eighty thousand men hewing in the mountain, and overseers over them -- three thousand and six hundred.

3And Solomon sendeth unto Huram king of Tyre, saying, 'When thou hast dealt with David my father, then thou dost send to him cedars to build for him a house to dwell in; 4lo, I am building a house to the name of Jehovah my God, to sanctify it to Him, to make perfume before Him, perfume of spices, and a continual arrangement, and burnt-offerings at morning and at evening, at sabbaths, and at new moons, and at appointed seasons of Jehovah our God; to the age this is on Israel. 5And the house that I am building is great, for greater is our God than all gods; 6and who doth retain strength to build to Him a house, for the heavens, even the heavens of the heavens, do not contain Him? and who am I that I do build to Him a house, except to make perfume before Him? 7And now, send to me a wise man to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and knowing to grave gravings with the wise men who are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father prepared; 8and send to me cedar-trees, firs, and algums from Lebanon, for I have known that thy servants know to cut down trees of Lebanon, and lo, my servants are with thy servants, 9even to prepare for me trees in abundance, for the house that I am building is great and wonderful. 10'And lo, to hewers, to those cutting the trees, I have given beaten wheat to thy servants, cors twenty thousand, and barley, cors twenty thousand, and wine, baths twenty thousand, and oil, baths twenty thousand.'

Huram Agrees to Assist

11And Huram king of Tyre saith in writing, and sendeth unto Solomon: 'In the love of Jehovah to His people He hath given thee king over them.' 12And Huram saith, 'Blessed is Jehovah, God of Israel, who made the heavens and the earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, knowing wisdom and understanding, who doth build a house for Jehovah, and a house for his kingdom.

13'And now, I have sent a wise man having understanding, of Huram my father, 14(son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father a man of Tyre), knowing to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stones, and in wood, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson, and to grave any graving, and to devise any device that is given to him, with thy wise men, and the wise men of my lord David thy father. 15'And, now, the wheat, and the barley, the oil, and the wine, as my lord said, let him send to his servants, 16and we -- we cut trees out of Lebanon, according to all thy need, and bring them in to thee -- floats by sea, to Joppa, and thou dost take them up to Jerusalem.'

17And Solomon numbereth all the men, the sojourners who are in the land of Israel, after the numbering with which David his father numbered them, and they are found a hundred and fifty thousand, and three thousand, and six hundred; 18and he maketh of them seventy thousand burden-bearers, and eighty thousand hewers in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers, to cause the people to work.